V8S - Indicator lenses and heated door mirrors!

[seb400]

My buddy mechanic replaced my drivers-side door mirror today after it was removed by a passing car a few weeks ago. I didn't realise that the door mirrors were heated - activated by the fan switch. Is it news to anyone else?

Regarding indicator lenses, does anyone know anything about the potential copyright/patent issues that might be associated with fabricating 'new' S indicator lenses, based on the design of the Leyland DAF unit?

Steve

[Barkychoc]

On the subject of indicator lenses read this.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Its probably also worth a word with Adrian Venn (Adrian@ on here) as he followed this up with Koito - though I don't think he made any progress.

I knew the mirrors were heated but I thought you pressed the mirror joystick to turn it on.
Anyway I'm some way off worrying about the heated mirrors not working!

Chris

Edited by Barkychoc on Friday 4th September 20:59

[paul.deitch]

Yes earlier this year i found that the mirrors got heated when the fan is on the high setting. Thought for years that something was bust as I couldn't find a switch for them.

[Rower]

I actully disabled the heating on mine because I had to change a lens mirror and found that the heat kept heating up the adhesive on the pads I was using which resulted in the lens falling out !


Rower

[Ghisallo]

seb400 said:

?

Regarding indicator lenses, does anyone know anything about the potential copyright/patent issues that might be associated with fabricating 'new' S indicator lenses, based on the design of the Leyland DAF unit?

Steve

Any idea how long the original indicator design has been around for?

Not knowing anything about the specific lens I would say that you would be ok to reproduce them.
There are provisons in design law which in effect allow a spare parts market.

Basically, "There will be no design protection in a design which is a component part of a complex product and is used to repair that product so as to restore its original appearance".

The lens would be a component part of a complex product (i.e. a car or a light assembly) and the lens you make would be to restore that product (car, light assembly, whatever) to its original appearance.

[CTE]

If the parts were dessigned and made for either Leyland or Daf, then as far as I understand it both companies are now deceased, so even if there was a theoretical chance of copyright infringement, who would enforce it? And besides, you would only have to make a small alteration, and copyright would no longer apply.

I would have thought the tooling costs were prohibitive though for such a low volume?

[Gerald-TVR]

I'm told £8k

[seb400]

I've been told that making replacements would be cost effective, even on a small scale. I'll persue it further and report back.

Steve

[Gerald-TVR]

Hi Steve In a way I hope your correct but what about those of us who have invested our pensions in front indicators.........................

[seb400]

They're so easily broken, it'll save investing too much more in the future(s)!

Steve